Liquid fuel operated automatic weapons

ABSTRACT

The automatic weapon has a compression chamber with a power outlet port aligned with a reciprocating barrel and an intake port aligned with a carburetor. A belt carrying a plurality of projectiles is fed between the reciprocating barrel and the power outlet port. A shaft driven rotor and vane are offset positioned within the compression chamber. The barrel, belt and rotor are synchronized so that carbureted fuel is compressed and ignited when the barrel has forced the belt to sealably engage the power outlet port with a projectile positioned in the barrel.

'1 Unite 1:: States atem 1151 3,673,917 Myers July 4, 1972 [54] LIQUID FUEL OPERATED AUTOMATIC 1,653,171 12/1927 Hagen ..89/7 WEAPONS 2,374,816 5/1945 Hansen... ...89/7 3,380,345 4/1968 Nelson ..89/7 [72] Inventor: Herman A. Myers, RD. #1, Box 125,

Lake Lynn, 15451 Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle [22] Filed. April 26, 1971 Attorney-Webb, Burden, Robinson & Webb [21] Appl. No.: 137,287 [57] ABSTRACT The automatic weapon has a compression chamber with a [52] U.S. Cl ..89/7, 89/33 CA, 89/l6l power outlet port aligned with a reciprocating barrel and an [51] Int. Cl ..F41r 1/04 intake p gn h a carburetor A l rying a p r l 58 Field of Search ..89/7,1, 161,33 R, 33 CA, W of Projectiles is fed between the reciprocating barrel and 39 33 33 the power outlet port. A shaft driven rotor and vane are offset positioned within the compression chamber. The barrel, belt [56] References Cited and rotor are synchronized so that carbureted fuel is compressed and ignited when the barrel has forced the belt to UNITED STATES PATENTS sealably engage the power outlet port with a projectile positioned in the barrel. 1,334,052 3/1920 Putnam ..89/161 1,429,370 9/1922 Putnam ..89/161 X 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 41972 3.673.917

sum 1 or 2 l [l [lulhl] [I I] in l] INVENTOR. 7 HERMAN A. MYERS PATENTEDJUL 4 I972 3. 673 9 1 7 sum 20? 2 r INVENTOR. E HERMAN A. MYERS BY pmmw-m LIQUID FUEL OPERATED AUTOMATIC WEAPONS My invention relates to an article of ordinance and, more particularly, to a liquid fuel operated automatic weapon, such as a machine gun.

The standard automatic weapon is operated by detonation of gun powder in a shell which propels a projectile secured thereto.

My invention eliminates the gun powder, the shell and the detonator, thereby rendering the automatic weapon safer, more transportable and, in general, far more versatile than existing automatic weapons.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have shown one preferred embodiment of my invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of my automatic weapon;

FIG. 2 is a partial broken away view showing the operating mechanisms;

FIG. 3 is a plan view partly broken away to show the operating mechanism;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the belt, projectile and drive means; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the belt.

My automatic weapon will be generally referred to as machine gun 10, although it will be recognized that various types of automatic weapons in addition to machine guns may be constructed in accordance with my invention.

Machine gun includes a compression chamber 11, a reciprocating barrel 12 and a belt 13 carrying the projectiles 14. The chamber 11 has a cylindrical inner surface formed by wall 16. Communicating with chamber 11 through wall 16 is intake port 17, power outlet port 15 and spark plug 38 which extends through wall 16 into the chamber 11 at a point substantially adjacent the power outlet port 15. Chamber 11 is air-cooled by fins 32 in a known manner, FIGS. 1 and 3.

A rotor 18 is mounted on a shaft 19 and is positioned in the chamber so that shaft 19 is substantially in alignment with the power outlet port 15. However, the rotor 18 is ofi'set in the chamber 11 so that it is substantially adjacent the interior wall 16. Rotor 18 has a slideway 20 above the shaft 19 into which an extensible vane 21 is slidably positioned. Vane 21 is extensible by means of a spring load 35 which forces separate end section 33 outward to sealably engage the interior of wall 16 as vane 21 rotates along with the rotor 18. The slidable engagement of vane 21 in slideway 20 of rotor 18 and the extensibility of end section 33 permits a constant and continuing sealable relationship between the interior of wall 16 and the vane 21 at both ends of the vane 21, FIGS. 2 and 3.

A carburetor 22 is connected to the intake port 17 and provides a carbureted liquid fuel, such as gasoline, thereto. The air and fuel means feeding the carburetor 22 are not shown and do not form a part of this invention.

Shaft 19 extends downward to and is driven by motor 23. Motor 23 may be a gasoline operated motor, an electrical motor or any other type which will rotate shaft 19. Friction clutch 24 is positioned along shaft 19 in the standard manner to permit engagement and disengagement of shaft 19 to motor 23, FIG. 2.

The reciprocating barrel 12 is supported by barrel rest 25 which ponnects to a stationary member such as compression chamber 11, FIG. 2. Barrel 12 is positioned in alignment with the power outlet port 15 which is built up to have its forward face parallel to the rear face of barrel 12, FIG. 3. Barrel 12, which is free to reciprocate within barrel rest 25, is operably connected by barrel bracket 47 to the cam 26 on shaft 19. This connection is formed by cam 26 contacting roller 48 which is connected to the spring 40 positioned between roller 48 and bracket 47 to cause the desired reciprocation of the barrel 12. Cam 26 operates to reciprocate barrel 12 in synchronization with rotor 18 as will be explained in detail hereinafter. Barrel 12 includes a plurality of exhaust ports 34 therealong. Because of rapid firing, the barrel should be easily replaceable, but this can be accomplished by standard mounting means, FIGS. l-3.

The projectile 14 is snugly held onto belt 13 through a fn'ctional push fit arrangement in holes 27 which extend along the length of belt 13 in aligned relationship. The projectile 14 is cone-shaped at its forward end in standard fashion and has a rearward retaining flange 28 to hold it in place in right angle relationship to belt 13. The belt 13 also contains aligned drive slots 29 along the belt edges. The belt must be made of a material which can serve as a seal for a single use and which will not be disrupted by the residual heat, FlGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

A drive sprocket 30, the teeth of which engage the slots 29 of belt 13, is positioned to drive the belt 13 between the power outlet 15 and the barrel 12. An idler sprocket 31 positioned on the opposite side of belt 13 from the drive sprocket 30 maintains the belt 13 in cooperation with the drive sprocket 30 and in proper alignment for feeding. Both the drive sprocket 30 and the idler 31 are spooled to engage the slots 29 of the belt while at the same time maintaining clearance for the projectile 14. The drive sprocket 30 is connected by shaft 37 to a timing linkage formed by linkage means 46 and cam 32 positioned along shaft 19. Timing linkages are well known in the an and the particular type of timing linkage does not form a part of my invention. The belt 13 is operated in synchronization with the reciprocation of the barrel l2 and the rotation of rotor 18 and is timed to be stationary when the barrel 12 is in a closed position, FIGS. 2 and 4.

My machine gun works as follows. The carbureted fuel enters the compression chamber 11 through the intake port 17. The carbureted fuel is then compressed within the chamber 1 1 by the vane 21 which rotates with rotor 18 to reduce the effective space between the vane 21 and rotor 18 and the chamber wall 16. This reduction in space results from the offset position of rotor 18 with respect to wall 16. When the carbureted fuel has been adequately compressed, the spark plug operated by a magneto (not shown) ignites the mixture. At this time, the barrel 12 is in its closed position so as to engage the belt 13 which,in turn, sealably engages the power outlet 15 in the chamber wall 16. As stated hereinbefore, the timing linkage operates so that the belt is stationary in position when the barrel 12 reaches its closed position. As explosion takes place, the projectile, which is aligned in front of the power outlet 15 and within thebarrel 12, is propelled outward. The exhaust gases exit the barrel through the exhaustports 34.

Continued rotation of shaft 19 opens the barrel 12 and the next projectile 14 on belt 13 is positioned in alignment with power outlet 15. While this is taking place, the next charge of carbureted fuel has been drawn into the chamber 11 by the vacuum created by the moving vane. The firing rate is, therefore, 2 times for every revolution of the shaft 19. Therefore, if shaft 19 is driven at 2,500 rpm, 5,000 rounds/min. can be fired. The rate of fire is controllable by gearing down the motor 23 to control the revolutions per minute of the shaft 19. Clutch 24 is employed to engage or disengage the shaft 19 and motor 23 and thereby control the firing of the weapon.

1 claim:

1. A liquid fuel operated automatic weapon including:

A. a compression chamber having an intake port and a power outlet port;

B. a carburetor means connected to the intake port to supply carbureted fuel thereto;

C. compression means within the compression chamber to place the carbureted fuel in a compressed state in the area of the power outlet port;

D. ignition means cooperating with the chamber to fire the carbureted fuel;

E. reciprocating barrel means positioned in operational alignment with the power outlet port;

F. belt means having a plurality of aligned projectiles secured thereto;

G. feed means connected to the belt means to feed the belt between the barrel and the power outlet port; and

H. synchronizing means connecting to the barrel and the feed means to position a projectile in line with the power outlet port and the barrel against the belt means to sealably engage the power outlet port when the ignition means fires.

2. The automatic weapon of claim 1 wherein the compression means includes a shafi driven rotor ofiset positioned adjacent an interior compression chamber wall and an adjustable vane cooperating with the rotor and the chamber wall to compress the carbureted fuel therebetween.

3. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the rotor has a slideway therethrough and the vane is positioned in the slideway, said vane being extensible to sealably engage the chamber wall at both ends of the vane at all times 4. The automatic weapon of claim 3 wherein the extensible vane includes a spring loaded outer section which is continually forced outward to sealably engage the chamber wall.

5. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the reciprocating barrel means includes a plurality of exhaust ports therein.

6. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the belt means includes a plurality of aligned holes which frictionally engage the projectiles to secure them thereto, said projectiles having a cone-shaped forward section and a flanged rearward section to maintain the projectile on the belt normal thereto.

7. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the feed means includes a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket positioned on opposing sides of the belt means.

8. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the synchronizing means includes two cams positioned on the shaft which rotates the rotor, one cam connecting to the barrel to cause reciprocation thereof and the other cam connecting to the feed means as part of a timing linkage.

9. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein a motor means connects to the shaft, said motor means including a clutch to engage the shaft.

10. The automatic weapon of claim 7 wherein the drive sprocket is in operable engagement with the shaft which drives the rotor through a timing linkage.

I I I! t i 

1. A liquid fuel operated automatic weapon including: A. a compression chamber having an intake port and a power outlet port; B. a carburetor means connected to the intake port to supply carbureted fuel thereto; C. compression means within the compression chamber to place the carbureted fuel in a compressed state in the area of the power outlet port; D. ignition means cooperating with the chamber to fire the carbureted fuel; E. reciprocating barrel means positioned in operational alignment with the power outlet port; F. belt means having a plurality of aligned projectiles secured thereto; G. feed means connected to the belt means to feed the belt between the barrel and the power outlet port; and H. synchronizing means connecting to the barrel and the feed means to position a projectile in line with the power outlet port and the barrel against the belt means to sealably engage the power outlet port when the ignition means fires.
 2. The automatic weapon of claim 1 wherein the compression means includes a shaft driven rotor offset positioned adjacent an interior compression chamber wall and an adjustable vane cooperating with the rotor and the chamber wall to compress the carbureted fuel therebetween.
 3. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the rotor has a slideway therethrough and the vane is positioned in the slideway, said vane being extensible to sealably engage the chamber wall at both ends of the vane at all times.
 4. The automatic weapon of claim 3 wherein the extensible vane includes a spring loaded outer section which is continually forced outward to sealably engage the chamber wall.
 5. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the reciprocating barrel means includes a plurality of exhaust ports therein.
 6. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the belt means includes a plurality of aligned holes which frictionally engage the projectiles to secure them thereto, said projectiles having a cone-shaped forward section and a flanged rearward section to maintain the projectile on the belt normal thereto.
 7. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the feed means includes a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket positioned on opposing sides of the belt means.
 8. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein the synchronizing means includes two cams positioned on the shaft which rotates the rotor, one cam connecting to the barrel to cause reciprocation thereof and the other cam connecting to the feed means as part of a timing linkage.
 9. The automatic weapon of claim 2 wherein a motor means connects to the shaft, said motor means including a clutch to engage the shaft.
 10. The automatic weapon of claim 7 wherein the drive sprocket is in operable engagement with the shaft which drives the rotor through a timing linkage. 